edge of a vast salt-marsh, is not the natural nest- 

 ing-place for blackbirds and sparrows. This 

 marsh-land is the range of the hawks. They are 

 at home here. The blackbirds and sparrows, for 

 some reason, have broken away from the inland. 

 The blackbirds have nested here, to my know- 

 ledge, for thirteen years ; the sparrows discovered 

 the great nest only a year ago. 



The walls of the nest are as big around as a 

 hogshead and as rough as the protruding ends of 

 corn-stalks, dead limbs, and small cord-wood can 

 make them. It is around in the crevices of these 

 uneven walls that the blackbirds and sparrows 

 lodge their nests. 



I am by no means certain that all is harmoni- 

 ous in this queer colony. There was no appear- 

 ance of discord— none but the appearance of the 

 sparrows. Neither am I sure why these small 

 birds choose to live thus with the hawks. They 

 are both independent birds, not hangers-on at all ; 

 so it cannot be the mere convenience of a ready- 

 made nesting-site. That could be had anywhere ; 

 besides, naturally, neither grackles nor sparrows 

 would fly far away into a marsh in looking for 

 a place to build. It cannot be that they come 

 13 [193] 



